Improve Student Attendance

Apply MTSS logic to America’s top education challenge: Chronic absenteeism.

“Behind every statistic on chronic absenteeism is a student who’s missing out — on learning, connection, and opportunity. With over one in five students chronically absent nationwide, this is not just a numbers problem, it’s a generational challenge.”

- Joan Schumann, PhD (CEO & Founder, Leading for Learning)

The Solution: MTSS for Attendance

  • Tier 1: Schoolwide Practices for Celebrating Student Attendance

    At Tier 1, schools can strengthen attendance by implementing universal screening to identify early signs of disengagement, establishing evidence-based routines that celebrate positive attendance, and cultivating a culture of belonging. These proactive, schoolwide practices are shown to improve engagement and reduce the number of students who require more intensive supports.

  • Tier 2: Develop Targeted Supports for Emerging Patterns

    At Tier 2, schools provide targeted interventions for students beginning to show attendance concerns. Strategies include small-group supports, goal-setting and mentoring, and family engagement routines that address barriers to attendance before they escalate. Research shows that intervening early at this level significantly reduces the risk of chronic absenteeism.

  • Tier 3: Restore Pathways for Students with Chronic Absenteeism

    At Tier 3, schools deliver individualized, wraparound supports for students with persistent attendance challenges. This may involve case management, cross-agency collaboration, and personalized attendance plans that integrate academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports. Evidence-based Tier 3 approaches are essential for re-engaging the most vulnerable students and restoring pathways to success.

How We Can Help

  • Improving student attendance starts with the right tools. That’s why we’re making this resource available free of charge to principals, district leaders, and leadership teams.

    Inside, you’ll find practical strategies, ready-to-use templates, and a clear framework for applying MTSS tiered supports to tackle chronic absenteeism.

  • Turn insight into action with this comprehensive resource for school and district leaders. The Attendance Toolkit + Implementation Guide provides ready-to-use templates and strategies, including:

    • Universal screening tools to identify early signs of disengagement

    • Attendance celebration ideas that build a culture of belonging

    • Tier 2 intervention plans for students at emerging risk

    • Family engagement strategies that strengthen school–home partnerships

    Built for busy leaders, this toolkit makes it simple to move from awareness of the attendance crisis to concrete, sustainable practices that improve student outcomes.

  • Addressing chronic absenteeism isn’t the work of one leader — it requires a coordinated, schoolwide effort. Team training ensures that principals, teachers, counselors, and support staff share a common understanding of MTSS strategies, align their roles, and work from the same playbook.

    When teams learn together, they build collective capacity, strengthen consistency across classrooms, and create systems that are far more effective than isolated efforts. The result: a unified approach that drives sustainable improvement in student attendance.

MTSS Leadership Boot Camp

Join our 4-day Attendance Boot Camp to gain practical MTSS strategies and an actionable plan to tackle chronic absenteeism.

What Trusted Colleagues Say About Joan

  • “Joan is an incredible leader who understands MTSS from both the academic and behavior side. She also understands the critical role of getting the adult piece right and how to leverage implementation science to create the conditions for successful, sustained implementation. She is always a pure joy to work and interact with."

    Dr. Clay Cook, Implementation Scientist & Chief Development Officer at CharacterStrong

  • Portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a pink floral blouse, resting her chin on her hand against a white background.

    "Joan is one of the most upbeat, intelligent school leaders with whom I've had the privilege to work. A true values-driven leader, unafraid to make hard decisions, she is also incredibly productive and results-oriented without sacrificing a strong focus on relationships, which has made her a beloved and respected leader. "

    Bridget McNamer, Leadership Coach

  • A woman with long brown hair smiling outdoors, wearing a sleeveless white top with small dark dots and a small gold necklace.

    “Joan's warmth, energy, enthusiasm, and passion is contagious. She is one of those rare leaders who has the technical skill to lead K-12 systems efficiently but also the adaptive leadership to deliver results.”

    Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden, Founder of SpringMath and Educational Researcher

  • Close-up of a smiling man with short brown hair, light skin, and blue eyes, wearing a dark shirt, against a plain white background.

    "At the heart of her mission was always a fundamental duty of care for our students...I miss her, but am grateful for the lasting contributions she has made."

    Paul Swanson, Director of Innovation and Technology

  • A woman with glasses and wavy hair smiling outdoors on a bright day, with a blue sky, scattered clouds, a tree, and a chain-link fence in the background.

    “Joan is a transformational, innovative leader. Her instructional leadership leads to improved student outcomes and her boundless energy is contagious."

    Mele Benz, Technical Assistance Provider & Former Principal

  • Close-up of a woman with long dark hair smiling at the camera, wearing an orange and white patterned top, with blue and white wall background.

    “I am but one of many who have grown in their skillset by working with [Joan]. I am forever grateful for what she has done for the children in our school as well for myself professionally.”

    Ms. Shawna Diamond, Special Education Teacher, Instructional Coach and Administrator

  • Black and white portrait of a smiling man in a suit and tie.

    “Joan has the ability to quickly identify challenges, develop solutions and build teams and systems to get things done. She possesses a high degree of integrity, a notable work ethic, and a great sense of humor.”

    Steven Dexter, School Principal

  • "It has been a pleasure to watch as [Joan] deliberately seeks out vastly different experiences to grow her expertise and view student learning from every angle. She is both knowledgeable and passionate about her work, while caring deeply for her people. I am confident you will thrive under her mentorship."

    Heather Newell, M.Ed. – Lecturer, Teacher Education and Leadership, Utah State University, and former principal